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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. saw — the tool
  3. wax — to grow
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. tear — from crying
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. saw — the tool
  9. bore — to drill
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. tear — from crying
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. bore — to tire
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. tear — to rip
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. wax — for sculpting

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com